Daily Devotional November 15 - Was Your God Created In Hollywood?

"The words of wise men are heard in quiet more than the cry of him that ruleth among fools. Ecclesiastes 9:17 "I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty." 1 Timothy 2:1-2 " And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." 1 Kings 19:12

In all the movies about God, God speaks with a loud, deep voice, echoing through the clouds, shaking mountains and causing men to fall down and tremble. But in your lifetime, how many times has God spoken to you like that? None.

God speaks to us in a quiet voice, heard in the inner man, in the depth of your soul. And to hear the voice of God amongst the din of this world; between soccer games, while traveling with the music on, while watching TV with the new big screen TV with surround theater sound, while rushing through the house doing laundry and listening to the clanking of a dish in the dishwasher, is difficult if not impossible.

I am disappointed to say that far too many Christians get their theology from Hollywood. And yet God is so clear when He gives us instruction or information through the scripture or through personal connection. Modern man thinks that they have transcended the teaching of the scripture and that the Bible was written for a different time. Many modern Christian critics and even some Christians say that the Bible is outdated and it wasn't meant to be taken literally. If that is the case, among all the information and instruction that God gave us, including prophesies for all times including the near future, why didn't God tell us that the Bible was going to become outdated and that we would have to find new resources through CNN and Hollywood producers?

It's not because God didn't know that we would twist and turn the scriptures into what we wanted them to be.

It's not because God didn't know about the advances in technology.

It's not because God didn't know that we would question His Word.

It's because it's not true.

God can only tell the truth and the scripture is the truth about God and of God. When God speaks to us about the quiet and peaceable/peaceful life, it's because God knows that if we don't find 'quiet' we will not be able to hear God speak to us.

Modern man isn't very concerned about finding a quiet place to spend time with God. We have all but lost the art of communicating through the silence of the woods or the quiet of a house without the TV on or the quiet place by the water where you can eat lunch and just hear the birds. It seems as if the advertising community has made a pact with the devil, "let's shout it at the top of our lungs and don't give anyone time to contemplate about their decision; it must be made in the next ten minutes or the opportunity will be lost." Even our TV evangelists have picked up on this type of conning and make all kinds of promises that if you do this or if you give that in the next ten minutes, your destiny will change and your prayers will start to be answered again.

We have slipped away from God, fallen from the garden where we meet God in the cool of the day and the still of the night. Today people think meeting God is going to church on Sunday, keeping their eye on their watch, marking off the hour and dropping a fin in the offering plate.

God deserves something better than that from you.